Group That Tracks Extremists Seeks Anti-Militia Law in State

Bill Wallace, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published 4:00 am, Tuesday, May 9, 1995

An Alabama-based law office that monitors the activities of hate groups has asked the California attorney general to take legal action to stop unauthorized militia organizations from operating in this state.

In a letter yesterday to California Attorney General Dan Lungren, the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that keeps track of white racist and extremist groups, asked Lungren to seek anti-militia laws similar to those on the books in 18 other states.

Although some militia groups operating in the United States may not seem threatening, "Many are led by dedicated and dangerous men who seek to foment civil disorder," said Morris Dees, the center's founder and chief trial counsel.

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Lungren's office did not respond to inquiries about Dees' request yesterday afternoon.

Dees pointed to the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City as an example of the kind of actions that might result if militia groups are allowed to operate without opposition from law enforcement agencies.

"Militant militia leaders see the Oklahoma attack as their Pearl Harbor, and praise those responsible as 'champions' of justice," Dees said. "In light of the Oklahoma City tragedy, we think it is prudent to take steps to prevent future militia attacks."

In his letter, Dees noted that 18 states have laws that ban militias outright, while six have laws that not only prohibit the groups, but also bar private citizens from conducting paramilitary training exercises. California is one of 14 states that ban private paramilitary training, but it has no law restricting the creation of privately operated militias.

"Because private military organizations pose a threat, even when law enforcement officials cannot detect conduct that would violate a state's anti-paramilitary training law, it is important for states to have both types of laws," Dees said.

Dees' law center specializes in filing lawsuits against extremist organizations and has won large jury verdicts in litigation against the Ku Klux Klan and the White Aryan Resistance. Dees said his law office had been successful in using anti-militia laws in Texas and North Carolina to stop the operations of paramilitary groups.

"States with laws against militias or paramilitary training should vigorously enforce them," Dees said. "States without such laws should enact them."

Organizers say militias are forming in 22 California counties, including Alameda, Marin, Santa Cruz and Mendocino. Leaders of these militias deny they are tied to extremist or white racist groups, and several have issued public statements denouncing the Oklahoma City bombing.